Technology giant Microsoft will be partnering Grab in a strategic agreement to transform the delivery of digital services and mobility in the Southeast Asia region.
This will be done through leveraging emerging technologies, such as machine learning and other artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Grab said in a press statement on Tuesday, October 9.
As a first step in the broad collaboration between the two companies, Grab will adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform. Microsoft will also make a strategic investment in Grab.
The companies did not reveal the sum of the deal.
Through this partnership, Grab will tap into Microsoft’s intelligent cloud and AI capabilities to scale Grab’s platform efficiently and increase its capacity and capabilities. The two companies will explore a number of innovative deep tech projects to enhance and transform the Grab experience for users, driver-partners, merchants and agents.
“This partnership signals a deep collaboration with Microsoft on an array of technology projects, including big data and artificial intelligence, that will transform the delivery of everyday services and mobility solutions in Southeast Asia,” said Ming Maa, president of Grab.
“We look forward to collaborating with Microsoft in the pursuit of enhancing on-demand transportation and seamless online-to-offline experiences for users.”
Peggy Johnson, executive vice president at Microsoft, added, “We’re excited to team up to transform the customer experience as well as enhance the delivery of digital services for the millions of users who rely on Grab for safe and affordable transport, food and package delivery, mobile payments, and financial services.”
Special innovation projects under the partnership include exploring new authentication mechanisms such as mobile facial recognition in place of IDs to match both driver and passenger identities to the reservation.
Grab will also explore the use of Microsoft Azure’s data analytics and fraud detection services to better predict and prevent fraudulent transactions on its platform